Hesekiel 11 | New International Reader’s Version English Standard Version

Hesekiel 11 | New International Reader’s Version

The Lord’s judgment of Jerusalem is certain

1 Then the Spirit of the LORD lifted me up. He brought me to the east gate of the LORD’s house. There were 25 men at the entrance of the gate. I saw Jaazaniah and Pelatiah among them. They were leaders of the people. Jaazaniah is the son of Azzur. Pelatiah is the son of Benaiah. 2 The LORD said to me, ‘Son of man, these men are making evil plans. They are giving bad advice to the city. 3 They say, “Haven’t our houses just been built again? The city is like a pot used for cooking. And we are the meat in it.” 4 So prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man.’ 5 Then the Spirit of the LORD came on me. He told me to tell them, ‘The LORD says, “You leaders in Israel, that is what you are saying. But I know what you are thinking. 6 You have killed many people in this city. In fact, you have filled its streets with dead bodies.” 7 ‘So the LORD and King says, “The bodies you have thrown there are the meat. And the city is the cooking pot. But I will drive you out of it. 8 You are afraid of the swords of war. But I will bring them against you,” announces the LORD and King. 9 “I will drive you out of the city. I will hand you over to outsiders. And I will punish you. 10 You will be killed by swords. I will judge you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 11 This city will not be a pot for you. And you will not be the meat in it. I will judge you at the borders of Israel. 12 Then you will know that I am the LORD. You have not obeyed my rules. You have not kept my laws. Instead, you have lived by the standards of the nations around you.” ’ 13 Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, died as I was prophesying. Then I fell with my face towards the ground. I cried out in a loud voice. I said, ‘LORD and King, will you destroy all the Israelites who are still left alive?’

The Lord will bring his people back home

14 A message from the LORD came to me. The LORD said, 15 ‘Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have spoken about you. They have spoken about the others the Babylonians have taken away. They have also spoken about all the other people of Israel. The people of Jerusalem have said, “Those people are far away from the LORD. This land was given to us. And it belongs to us.” 16 ‘So tell them, “The LORD and King says, ‘I sent some of my people far away among the nations. I scattered them among the countries. But for a little while I have been their temple in the countries where they have gone.’ ” 17 ‘Tell them, “The LORD and King says, ‘I will gather you from the nations. I will bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered. I will give you back the land of Israel.’ ” 18 ‘They will return to it. They will remove all its statues of evil gods. I hate those gods. 19 I will give my people hearts that are completely committed to me. I will give them a new spirit that is faithful to me. I will remove their stubborn hearts from them. And I will give them hearts that obey me. 20 Then they will follow my rules. They will be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people. And I will be their God. 21 But some people have hearts that are committed to worshipping the statues of their evil gods. I hate those gods. Anything that happens to those people will be their own fault,’ announces the LORD and King. 22 Then the cherubim spread their wings. The wheels were beside them. The glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23 The glory of the LORD went up from the city. It stopped above the Mount of Olives east of the city. 24 The Spirit of God lifted me up. He took me to those who had been brought to Babylon as prisoners. These are the things that happened in the visions the Spirit gave me. Then the visions I had seen were gone. 25 I told my people everything the LORD had shown me.

Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV® (Anglicised) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.® Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission.

English Standard Version

Judgment on Wicked Counselors

1 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the house of the Lord, which faces east. And behold, at the entrance of the gateway there were twenty-five men. And I saw among them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. 2 And he said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and who give wicked counsel in this city; 3 who say, ‘The time is not near* to build houses. This city is the cauldron, and we are the meat.’ 4 Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, O son of man.” 5 And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and he said to me, “Say, Thus says the Lord: So you think, O house of Israel. For I know the things that come into your mind. 6 You have multiplied your slain in this city and have filled its streets with the slain. 7 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of it, they are the meat, and this city is the cauldron, but you shall be brought out of the midst of it. 8 You have feared the sword, and I will bring the sword upon you, declares the Lord God. 9 And I will bring you out of the midst of it, and give you into the hands of foreigners, and execute judgments upon you. 10 You shall fall by the sword. I will judge you at the border of Israel, and you shall know that I am the Lord. 11 This city shall not be your cauldron, nor shall you be the meat in the midst of it. I will judge you at the border of Israel, 12 and you shall know that I am the Lord. For you have not walked in my statutes, nor obeyed my rules, but have acted according to the rules of the nations that are around you.” 13 And it came to pass, while I was prophesying, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell down on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?”

Israel’s New Heart and Spirit

14 And the word of the Lord came to me: 15 “Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, your kinsmen,* the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those of whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far from the Lord; to us this land is given for a possession.’ 16 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Though I removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while* in the countries where they have gone.’ 17 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’ 18 And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. 19 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 21 But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will* bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord God.” 22 Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. 23 And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city. 24 And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen went up from me. 25 And I told the exiles all the things that the Lord had shown me.